


Legend of Cherik

by orphan_account



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Avatar LOK crossover, Crossover, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, anti-bender/anti-mutant sentiment, mutants are benders, occasional avatar characters kept but not enough to be tagged under LOK, started as an rp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-23 21:44:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an au where the XMFC group are citizens of Republic City of the Avatar: Legend of Korra 'verse. Erik and his Uncle Iroh run a small tea shop and one day a particular waterbender walks in and messes with the everyday calm of his life. Elements of Erik's past will eventually come back to conflict them while they deal with the rising anti-bender sentiment growing in republic city. A healthy amount of fluff will be attempted to fit in between the hurt and seriousness/social justice topics. (Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Iroh's Tea Shop

**Author's Note:**

> Nearly everything has a double meaning because there is an obscene amount of parallels to be made between XMFC and ATLA/LOK, but I will be doing my best to explain all of them so background knowledge of the Avatar universe isn't necessary. I'm replacing most of the characters with characters from X Men/X men First Class, but we'll keep a few, (like Iroh because he his an epitome of unconditional love and I respect him too much to not include). If anything is unclear or you think there is a deeper meaning behind something ask/comment and I will be eager to answer and add to the notes.
> 
> FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T WATCH AVATAR: Earth, Water, Fire, Air. These are the four elements and some people, referred to as 'benders', can manipulate these elements at will. The Avatar is the only one who can bend all four, and they are expected to use this power to maintain peace in the world. A bit under two hundred years before LOK takes place, the Fire Nation attacked the others and upset the balance. Eventually the Avatar of the time, Aang, ended the conflict and founded Republic City to be a place of common ground between the four nations in an effort to mend the bonds that 100 years of war had torn. Legend of Korra is about the new incarnation of the Avatar, Korra, and her journey to master the four elements. Along the way she goes to Republic City, where she discovers an anti-bender movement and lots of unrest. This au is replacing most of those characters with characters from X Men and X men First Class, but almost all of the problems and conflicts can be fabricated together as parallels rather than replaced, so I don't think you'll be too lost.

   Charles surveys the small tea shop in front of him. He usually wasn't on this side of Republic City, but there was a small research facility with some potentially breakthrough genetic research and several promising theories that might explain how some benders were rapidly inventing so many new bending techniques and abilities. The large manila folder in his hands required a hot cup of earl grey before any proper consideration, and the minds of the people around him seemed to hold this one in particular in high regard.

   Charles pushed to door open, the small bell on the door jingling to alert the shopkeeper of his arrival.

   "Hello!" A pleasant old man who radiated contentment from behind the counter waived at him. "Are you here to try our tea, sir? We have a lovely Jasmine tea, best in the city, and my personal favorite."

   "Afraid not, sorry." The old man gestured for Charles to choose himself a table as he walked over to take Charles' order."Though I am in a desperate need for some earl grey and I was told your establishment is promising. Perhaps another time on the Jasmine?"

   "Of course. I am Iroh, if you need anything. My nephew Erik will bring you your tea shortly."

   Erik was still frustrated from the fight he got into earlier. Some damn non-bender activist decided to throw a fit and refuse to pay once he found out his tea was made by a bender, which upset him, but nothing more than how the man had spoken to his uncle. Iroh was all that he had left of a family, and no smart ass could speak to him, bender or non-bender it didn't matter. He crushed some tea leafs in the stone bowls as his uncle had taught him, though he was bending the stone, naturally.

   Iroh came in through the doors with a grin on his face. "A lovely young man came in, just now." He said, continuing when he heard Erik's grunt of a response. "I'll start his kettle of earl grey, and you can take it out to him, have some conversation and cheer up! You're ruining the tea with your frustrations." He said cryptically, making Erik groan.

   "I'll.. take out the trash then, just.. call for me when you need me to take it to him." Erik muttered out, dropping the grinder as gently as he could on the counter before practically storming out of the back and into the alley.

   Charles began to set out the files in front of him and made himself comfortable. The files were thick, but nothing compared to his thesis from grad school at Republic City's university. The delectable smell of what must be his pot of tea began wafting out of the kitchen and he couldn't help but smile.

   "Erik! Come on, the tea- Erik." Iroh scolded his nephew when he saw him bending the trash cans again. "Don't ruin the bins. Come on and bring the tea to our customer." Erik silently followed his uncle, a man of few words as he often became around most people. He grabbed the pot and cups on a tray and shifted out the doors to the mostly empty tea shop. He spotted the customer and headed to him.

   "Here's your tea, sir." Erik said, simply, placing the tray on the table next to the customer's, took a cup and placed it in the closest empty spot of the table to the customer and poured the tea unceremoniously.

   "Exquisitely kind of you, but unnecessary, my friend," Charles began to bend the tea into the cup the man had set out for him. Charles drank not just the tea but the sight of the man in front of him. Tall, lean, with an aura of fierce determination and pride of- oh, another bender. Lovely. "And how is your day today, Mister...?"

   Erik remained a look of being completely unphased by the man's bending. "Lehnsherr. Erik Lehnsherr. My day is just fine, sir. I hope yours is just as fruitful." He had simply set down the pot, more than prepared to step away when the man spoke to him. Erik was simply going through the motions of what his uncle insisted he say and how he insisted he act around customers, while he would much rather just walk away and go on with his day. Customer service was not his strong suit.

   Charles sensed Erik's lack of interest, and frowned slightly to himself. "It's promising. Thank you very much for the tea, it's lovely." Charles looked down to his files though he couldn't quite bring himself to pay attention to their content.

   "I'm glad you enjoy it, sir. If you need anything else, please feel free to call for me." Erik said, turning to walk away when he heard the start of one of those loud speaking anti-benders protesting outside of the tea shop and his grip on the tray causing the metal to crumple and twist with his irritation and anger.

   Charles raised an eyebrow as Erik crumpled the metal tray he'd been holding. A small part of him was relieved that Erik was a bender- he's tried flirting by using his bending before, it hasn't really worked on non-benders since Avatar Jean destroyed half of Omashu in her avatar state, so his lack of interest would at least be genuine and not disgust at his status as a bender- but a larger part of him became concerned with what had made him so angry. Halfway through the thought Charles picked up a massive vibe of discontentment outside on the street.

   Putting two fingers to his temple, Charles tapped in to the hearing of a woman standing outside the shop to deduce what the commotion outside was about. "For too long the benders of Republic City have been forcing us non-benders to live as lower-class citizens in this society! Well I say no more! We are the equalists, and we demand equality from this society!"

   Charles stood up abruptly and left the shop, heading straight for the man on the dais leading the rally. "Hello? Yes, my good man, please tell me what it is that benders have done to you specifically as a societal force to make you feel so oppressed?"

   The man on the stage stared at him dumbly. "I bet you're a bender!" He accused suddenly.

   "Well, yes."

   "Well I bet you'd just /love/ to use some of your waterbending to knock me right of this stage, wouldn't you?" The crowed began to yell at him, egging him on so they could make a martyr of the situation.

   Charles scoffed. "Oh no, my friend, I've got something much better." Charles put his fingers to his temple and concentrated. Everyone around him and the man on the stage suddenly relaxed, and the crowd dissipated. " _Go home_." He said to the man on the stage, fingers still on his temple.

   He did.

   "You're all oppressing yourselves" Charles muttered as he walked back towards the tea shop.  
   Erik had been walking away when he heard someone rush out the door. He'd turned when he saw the water bender had gone and cursing to himself, against his better judgement, followed after him. What the hell did the water bender do to make them all just walk away...? In minor awe, Erik raised his eyebrows at the water bender and crossed his arms, leaning in the doorway of the tea shop. "I may be taking a shot in the dark here but... you're not just a water bender are you?" Erik asked calmly, despite his interest.

   Charles did his best to act cool, but with the skeptical metalbender in front of him it was hard not to smile. "I'm not the next avatar if that's what you're saying, but..." ((*everything in the pointy perenthesis will be projected thoughts btw*)) "Does that bother you?"

   Erik scowled at the feeling of another person in his head, even if it were just a projected thought. "Mathematically speaking it would be impossible for you to be the next avatar, after all you look to be, at the youngest, in your mid twenties, the avatar would still be a young teenager at the moment." Erik brushed off the telepathic waterbender's comment. "And knowing someone else can get into my head, slightly." He answered honestly.

   Charles brushed off the small ache of disappointment (almost no one seemed to approve of his abilities beyond waterbending, though he had read from a few minds that this did not mean it wasn't desirable) and smiled at the earthbender. "You've a sharp mind," Charles commented as he took his seat back in Erik's uncle's tea shop.

   Erik looked at the water bender for a long moment before speaking again. "What is your name?" He asked, rubbing his hands with the silly apron that he wore, suddenly feeling as if he were dirty. Something in him, something he wasn't sure was his anymore but he didn't actually mind to his surprise, wanted to get to know this water bender with the ability to use and see into another's mind.

   "Charles. Charles Xavier."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jean Gray, also known as the Phoenix destroyed New York when accessing supreme levels of her mutation (basically X Men:The Last Stand plot but adjusted from the comic) and afterwards there was a huge military effort to quarantine mutants and the real genocidal efforts followed shortly followed (as far as I understand about the comics- I haven't read all of them). For the sake of my au, Jean was the last Avatar, and the Avatar state mirrors when the Phoenix alter ego is controlling Jean's actions in the movie. While in the Avatar state/as the Phoenix, Jean destroyed Omashu. Logan brought her down from the Avatar state (think of that scene where Katara keeps Aang from hurting the tribesmen that stole Oppa) long enough to kill her/save her from hurting anyone else. For those of you who don't know, the Avatar State is where the Avatar can call upon the power, wisdom, and knowledge of their past lives. It elevates their abilities but it is also their weakest state, because if they are killed in the Avatar state they are truly destroyed and their spirit cannot reincarnate. Also, the Avatar is supposed to be told on their 16th birthday that they are the avatar, and The destruction of Omashu was roughly 14 years before this so no one knows who it is yet.


	2. Vanilla Caramel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Cherik fluff, some of Erik's past but not the heavy stuff just yet.

   Charles held his hand out instinctively to shake with Erik, it occouring to him only after he'd committed to the gesture that Erik would think it posh of him.

   Erik looked from Charle's face to his hand before making a hmph noise and shaking it. It had been a long time since someone had shaken his hand. "Pleasure."

   Charles can't help but ask Erik simple questions, pointless, really, in an effort to keep him close by. He asks him about his favorite flavor of tea, what his hobbies were, how he came to run a shop with his uncle. The last question seemed to have set something off in him, and Charles regretted it the moment Erik's jaw hardened.

   After the first question, Erik finally decided to sit down across from Charles, not noticing his uncle peeking out the door of the kitchen, grinning, and slipping back in. "My favorite tea is caramel vanilla." He said, something about the way he said it showing that there was some story behind the tea, but not telling it. "I don't really have any hobbies. I spend all my time working here, that is all." He began to relax a tad after the simple banter before growing tense at the final question. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "It's quite a lenghty story, Charles."

   Charles felt the spike of giddyness from the shops' owner as Iroh slipped back into the kitchen. _Erik must not talk to many visitors._ "I am prepared to endure it if you are." Charles tried to pour as much sincerety into the words as he could. Yes, Charles could reach in and find the story for himself. but then the conversation would lose all of its intimacy, not to mention Charles would lose any respect Erik had for him.

  "Otherwise, i'd be quite interested as to how a cup of Caramel Vanillla found its way into your life. Isn't that an old fire-nation quirk?"

   Erik sighed. "Both stories tie together, actually. You may need more tea to endure the story." He said, standing and taking the empty pot of tea. "I'll come back with more." He said, walking to the back of the store to refill the tea.  
   Charles sat back as Erik left to get more tea (when had he moved to lean in so intensely, giving erik all of his attention?) As he did, he couldn't help but notice the fine curve of Erik's ass beneath his tunic. Sure, Xaviers were a traditional family, but this was the sixth dynasty for Spirits' sake. Besides, his disapproving mother had died years ago, leaving Charles free to puresue whomever he saw fit, not just quiet, non bending northern water tribe girls. Charles came back from his thoughts as Erik set the fresh pot down on the table.

   Erik saw how wrapped up Charles seemed in his own thoughts and tried not to chuckle at him. When he sat dack down he had his own cup of tea. "Are you prepared for this story?" He asked, his voice almost painfully calm.  
   "Hmm? Oh! Yes, yes I am, please do tell it." Charles bent more tea into his cup and took a long sip, revelling in the way it warmed his insides.  
   Erik sighed and took a sip of his tea before putting it down. "After the great war with the fire nation there were already some anti-bender activists scrounging about and doing some illegal things, passing them off as attacks from the fire nation on non-bending families." He explained simply. "It was especially bad in Ba Sing Se, considering how much destruction occured in the Earth Kingdom. My mother was a non bender. Collateral damage." He said, taking a sip of the tea in front of him. "Iroh simply took me in, gave me a cup of tea and took me in as his nephew. Iroh is a fire bender, explains the tea.

   "I guess that first tea stuck with me. It smelled like the perfume my mum wore, and when Iroh said what the tea was, it hit me. My father even called her Karumera. It was her hair... Damnit, I'm rambling now." Erik caught himself, scowling at how easily he told the story. Something about Charles made him far too comfortable...

   "No, no you're absolutely fine. It's a lovely story actually, but... these rebels just went around killing people? No one was ever brought to trial for her death?" Charles was fighting the threat of welling in his eyes; he blamed his emotional state on how overly receptive his telepathic abilities made him to other's emotions.

   Erik almost refused to look at Charles now. "It was the fresh aftermath of the destruction of Omashu, it wasn't that important. It was immediately called war damage and no second thought was given." He said, looking back to Charles finally, his face blank.

     Charles had so many more questions to ask, but the way Erik was looking at him prompted Charles to keep them to himself. "I- my friend, I am so, so sorry you had to go through that. I know it hardly means anything coming from a stranger, but I do mean it." Charles heasitated for a moment, before deciding to go out on a limb. "My father died too. Laborarory accident- I was very young- so not much compared to your loss. I only mention it actually because i want you to know I don't mean to patronize you." Charles did his best to look at Erik in earnest. It occured to him that reaching out for erik's hand may be overdoing it, and promptly placed his own in his lap meekly.

   Erik looked over Charles and leaned back in his chair again. "You are an odd person, Charles Xavier." Was all Erik could say, sitting there and looking over the young man.

   Charles smiled weakly. " 'Time long spent undisturbed leaves the mind to ferment, like a great wine.' I didn't have many friends as a child, not once it was clear i was a bender. I'm often told I think like an old man, by the few who are not so put out by my abilities to keep me estranged."

   "You are much like an old man, minus the wrinkles and lack of hair." Erik teased slightly, already growing attatched to the man across from him. "Though it does look like you have some that will develop between your eyebrows."

   "Well i think I'll take that over my hair thinning out. Spirits, I can't imagine how daft i'd look without it. And hey, I'd say you have a bit of stress lines threatening to form yourself, my friend." Charles lauged, which only made the wrinkles in his face more prominent, but he didn't really care.

   Iroh chose this particular moment to walk over to their table, Charles grinning like an idiot and Erik scolding him playfully. "I hate to steal your entertainment from you, sir, but it is almost closing time and my nephew and I have matters to attend to."

   Erik was about to come back with a smart comment, a smirk lingering on his lips when Iroh appeared. He stood and immediately slipped back into his "tea boy" facade. "It was a pleasure having you here, I hope you return soon and enjoy our tea again." He said, repeating something he obviously said every day.

   "Oh, I defenitely will. I've promised your uncle I'd try his lovely Jasmine tea!" Charles stood and gatheres his files, most of them untouched. He turned to Iroh and straightened his posture "It was a pleasure to have witnessed your genrosity," Charles gave the traditional watertribe bow. "May Yue give you great fortune, and hope for our paths to cross again." Charles did his best to smile genuinely; few people outside the water tribe understood the sincerety of the traditional Thanks, but an earnest smile always seemed to do the trick.

   Iroh bowed back to Charles- the man knew a tribute when he saw one, and even if he didn't know the proper bow to respond with, Iroh was a man of Honor. "Have a safe journey home, Mister Charles." As Charles left the shop, Iroh turned to Erik with a smile that covered his face.

   " _What,_ Uncle??" Erik gave an exasperated sigh.

   "Nothing! Nothing at all..." Iroh couldn't stop laughing to himself the rest of the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it reads really choppy half the time but the first five chapters are basically cut-paste-and-edit from an rp, if i get a lot of complaints or a beta I'll fix it eventually. otherwise just bear with me pretty please.  
> "Karu" is a semi-common Japanese name (it's my aunt's actually) and karumera is japanese for caramel and we changed her name from Eddie but in this au it is our head-canon that erik's dad would call her karumera as a pet name.  
> I don't know the precise etiquette of the Water Tribe, but I know they are big on manners and would no doubt have some sort of formal addressing like the one I made up


	3. Market Square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of a few more characters in the next two chapters, we were trying to keep the plot going so that is why there is such a sudden change of pace from the last chapter to this one.

   Charles found himself strolling aimlessly through the streets of Market Square. He didn't really need to go shopping, but the research reports had been so consuming he hadn't realized he had stayed inside for three dasys straight. He did however have a craving for something exotic, and found himself browsing through the fire nation fruits.

   Erik and Iroh strolled around the market, Erik holding the wicker basket that held the fruits and vegitables that Iroh had already insisted on buying. "Uncle, we have enough fruit, we need some meat in the house before we become completely vegitarian." Erik said blandly as Iroh looked through more fruits.

  "And what's wrong with that?" Iroh teased, making Erik roll his eyes slightly as his uncle turned.

   Charles was weighing two Pomegranites in his hands and he heard a familiar husky voice. He looked up to see Iroh a few yards away from himself, aimlessly going through the batches of cherries. He waved to get the man's attention and smiled

   Erik looked down to the end of the fire nation vendors when he spotted Charles. "Uncle." Erik said, looking over to Iroh. "Pomegranites." Was all that he said when Iroh looked up and over to where he knew they were sold and grinned when he saw Charles.

   "Oh, Erik! Erik! It's that waterbender from the shop the other day!!" Iroh tugged on Erik's robe sleeve. "The one that cracked you and your refusal to socialize with any of our customers! Oh, he is so polite and handsome. OHH he just smiled at you goodness look at those rosy cheeks of his!"

   Erik looked to his uncle and his eyebrows drew together. "Uncle, you don't have a crush, do you?" He teased before patting Iroh on the shoulder. "Come on. We'll get some pomigranites and head towards the Earth Kingdom vendors. We need more mangos and I was thinking on having some duck this week." Erik said, walking towards Charles.

   "Me? oh goodness no Erik, I'm much too old for him. You on the other hand..." Iroh raised an eyebrow at his nephew suggestively as they neared the waterbender to keep the conversation to themselves (the irony of Charles being a telepath escaped him). "Fancy meeting you here," Charles said in way of greeting, his gaze floated over to erik.

   Erik rolled his eyes at Iroh and greeted Charles as warmly as Erik Lehnsherr does. "A pleasure to see you again, Charles." He said ignoring his uncle's grin.

  "Pomigranites, huh?" Iroh asked with a grin, eyeing Charles. "The fruit that kept Persephone with Hades in the old children's tale." He reminded with a grin before going to pick out his own.

   Erik shook his head. "It's more of a play on the story of Oma and Shu. You Fire Nation storytellers need to be more original." He said blandly, a small hint of humor in his tone.

   Charles cocked his head to the side. "I've only heard the story of Oma and Shu portrayed as a love story." "You mean you've never heard of the fire nation adaption?" Iroh asked. "Oh, well i have it's just... not how the story is recorded in the Northern Water Tribe archives. According to those Persephone is taken against her will." Iroh seemed almost scandalized. "But i've known for a while that they can't be accurate," Charles offered to Iroh. "So, how do you pick a good pomegranite anyways? Is it in the weight or the firmness?"

   Iroh chuckled. "Stories always get twisted like that. Now, a ripe pomegranite is this perfect red shape, and to tell if it's perfectly ripe you should be able to scratch off the skin a tad with your nail. If it's too hard or tough it's not ripe yet."Iroh rambled, holding the fruit and showing it to Charles. Erik had listened to this time and time again and began checking a few of the fruit himself, already thinking of what to make with them.

   "Good to know! So, uhh, Iroh, do you mind if I had a moment to speak with your nephew, Iroh?" Charles tried to keep his tone casual but some nervous energy had begun to build up within him. "I swear you'll have him back in a moment."

   "Oh, of course! You may borrow him all you like in fact" Iroh gave Erik a suggestive grin at the last statement.

   Erik looked up from paying the dealer to Iroh and Charles with a quiet. "Huh?" Before he watched Iroh wink at him and walk away. Shrugging to himself, Erik looked to Charles with a raised brow.

   "So, I, uh... I know you don't really like spending much time outside of the tea shop, but, there is this small puppet festival over in the Aqua Square the day after tomorrow and i was wondering if you weren't busy working that night maybe you'd like to come see it with me?"

   Erik blinked a few times before a small smile appeared on his face. "Sure," he answered calmly.

   And for some reason unbenownst to Chalres, the stand three rows away decided this was the perfect moment to blast fifty feet into the air whist on fire.

   "What the hell??" the vendor selling pommegranites yelled. There was bright red everywhere as the skies lit up with fire. That fire was suddenly moving in swirls, diminishing as it went and Charles realized it was Iroh bending the fire. Charles picked up the water from the fountian in the middle of Roku's square and looked for things to put out, checking for people first (no one's mind was screaming 'I'm on fire!').

   Erik looked towards Iroh, who despite his old age was still an extremely powerful firebender, and rushed towards him.

   "Where's the source?" He yelled, more for Charles than for Iroh. Whomever was doing this had no control and needed to get out of such a crowded area. He closed his eyes and focused on all of the movements on the earth around them as he could, it was difficult with his shoes but he tried, trying to get a hint as to where people were running from and who wasn't moving, process of elimination.

   Charles used his telepathy to try and locate the bender responsible once a good deal of fire was put out, Iroh seemed to be putting the rest out with flicks of his wrists. Charles' mind came across an extremely pissed off bender two streets down. "He's on Bakers Street! Come on Erik!"

   It wasn't hard for Erik to feel the bender and shifted his foot a bit to get a better grip on the earth and focused on that one point around the bender. He pulled up the earth quickly, but not so fast the bender could fall, and not low enough he could easily jump off. What to do after they had him up there, Erik wasn't sure, but at least he couldn't really harm anyone from up there.

   Charles held two fingers to his temple and his eyes screwed shut. <CALM YOUR MIND, ALEX! YOU ARE GOING TO HURT PEOPLE, AND PROBABLY YOURSELF IF YOU DON'T> The young man Erik was holding hostage in the air seened to pause for a moment, before Charles sensed panic welling up in him. <My name is Charles. I'm like you. Please, Alex, you have to let go.>

   Erik walked calmly forward, trying to ignore the anti-benders screaming in the distance, as they always did. "Do you think you have him, Charles?" Erik asked calmly, supporing Iroh who was growing very tired very quickly. "Is he calm enough to bring back down here?"

  
   Alex, who was in the middle of breathing deep reached out for Charles. <Okay, I'm calm now. can you put me down?>

   <Oh, my friend> Alex swore he heard Charles chuckle. <I'm not the one keeping you up there.> "Yes, he'll be okay,"Charles said aloud to Erik. Charles turned to Iroh, who seemed to be okay, if just a bit tired "They don't call you the dragon of the west for nothing, do they?"

   Erik used one hand to slowly lower the tower of earth he created to bring Alex back to the ground. Iroh chuckled when he heard Charles' comment. "That's all in the past." He said, watching Erik. "All my strength is from my nephew now." He said, obviously sentimental.

   Erik tried to ignore the entire conversation. Too awkward. He looked to Charles with an obvious question in his eyes, but not feeling the want to voice it, he tried to think it loud enough for Charles to hear. <What do we do now? He's too much of a risk to let wander with that much strength with the Equalists growing more and more violent towards benders.>

   The protests of the anti-bender crowd that had gathered became louder as they neared the pillar Erik had made.

   "Look at all this damage they've caused!"

   "That firebender's practically senile!"

   "My cabbages!"

   "He should be arrested!"

   Charles, Erik, and Iroh looked at the young man as he came into view. Definately fire nation, even if his bending hadn't given him away; he had milky smooth skin and gold hair, a trait that happened rarely, and almost never outside the western edge of the fire nation territory. He wore a red and black tunic, which was suprisingly free of singes.

   "Everybody calm down! My name is Charles Xavier, and I will make sure this man is held personaly responsable for this incident and that all of the damage incurred on the city today will be paid to be rebuilt."

   Silence fell for a moment, before a man shouted, "Wait, you're a bender too! What makes you think we'll trust you to make sure he's handed over to the police?"

   "Do you really think anyone else is qualified to keep watch over him?" <Don't worry, Alex; you aren't payig these people an ounce, and I'll make sure the police don't hurt you.> Charles made it so that Iroh and Erik could hear him tell Alex he was safe. The man and the crowd seemed to back off, not quite content but satisfied for now.

   Erik growled quietly, trying not to crush every single one of that man's damn cabbages and nudged Iroh. "Uncle, we should get you home to rest. You put out too much effort."

   "I'm fine." Iroh protested strongly.

   Erik shot his uncle one of those looks that told the fire bender that it was more for Erik's sanity than Iroh's well being and the old man eventually nodded. "Whatever you're planning, Charles, don't get in over your head. You seem like the type to do that." Erik said, leading Iroh slowly away.

   "you have my word."

   Charles turned his attention to Alex and gestured for him to sit at a bench a few feet away. <So, I don't normally keep conversations in someone's head, but the less evryone around us is reminded of it, maybe the less they'll exaggerate the damages?>

   Alex looked at Charles, as if realizing for the first time exactly what Charles was doing. <You're... different? Like, not just a bender... I thought I was alone.>

   <You're not alone, Alex. Now, tell me- what happened?>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the mythology references were confusing, the story of Oma and Shu is one of the oldest love stories in the ATLA 'verse, it's the equivelant of their romeo and juliet (except juliet lives and it's not families its whole villages and Oma and Shu invented Earthbending somehow in the process), and we made the headcanon that in the Fire Nation version of the story their names are Persephone and Hades (and yes it's the greek legend the fire nation uses, but the versions where Persephone goes willingly).  
> I know that was a really key Cherik scene and that is where roughly 40% of the ships feels comes from, and I am genuinely sorry to have messed that up, but there was no way to fit it between charles and erik with how the story starts, and it was too good a scene to leave out entirely.  
> "Dragon of the West" is a title Iroh was given in ATLA because he conquered Ba Sing Se, and supposedly killed the last dragon (they were hunted for sport) when in actuality he falsely claimed that title knowing there were still dragons, so that people would stop hunting them.


	4. Police Task Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles and Alex deal with the police after Alex's outburst at Market Square. Charles notices something rather unique about the Task Force leader, and a whole slew of the XMFC characters are being introduced in this chapter.

   Alex explained he was a pro bender and his brother was training to be one as well.

   <A vendor we were trying to buy from had been harassing us for it, telling me I should be ashamed for being such a sellout and Scott to rethink his life choices, that there was still time for him. He was halfway through saying something about our parents, and I lost it.> A flash of images- fire, a burnt house, funeral incense- flashed through his mind.

   <I see... I'm sorry about them, by the way.> Chalres patted Alex softly on the shoulder.

   <It was my fault. I was playing with my father's himitsu bako, and I became so frustrated with it I accidentaly threw the weird red fire you saw earlier all over the room. Everything burned. My father died from the blast. I woke my mother to save her, and she told me to help Scott. She died from smoke inhalation in the hospital.>

   Charles and Alex sat in silence for a moment, Charles looking for the right thing to say, Alex waiting for the Police to come and lock him away.

   <You didn't do that on purpose, my friend. I understand that you feel personally responsable, but had you had an adequate teacher that never would have happened.>

   Alex laughed out loud. <Have you ever met a firebending master who can do that? The first time it happened, I thought it was cool. I thought I might even be the next avatar. But the next avatar should be an earthbender, and as soon as I realized this wasn't normal. As soon as I realized I was some freak of nature, I stopped using it. Until ten minutes ago I thought I was the only bender in the world who knew what it was like to not be...normal.>

   Sirens made themselves known in the distnace, a sign of the Police Force on their way.

   <Oh, you and my sister have so much in common. You really aren't, my friend. I know an earthbender who can also bend metal, and my sister Raven can change her appearence> Charles supplied mental images of Erik warping the tea tray and Raven shifting from her usual blonde form to one of Charles, sticking her tounge out at him as he laughed.

  Alex smiled at Charles' memory. <We should all get together sometime after you're done saving my ass.>

  <Of course. You and your brother are welcome company, my friend.>

   A few moments of silence past between them before the police finally arrived on the scene. Out of the lead satomobile stepped a blonde woman dressed in an imppecably white version of the Police Task Force uniform. "Ah, Summers. I take it you are the one responsable for the reports I'm getting?"

   "Yes ma'am." Alex stood from the bench, and Charles hastily followed suit.

   "Who's your friend?" The blonde looked to Charles skeptically. "Is he also responsable for some of the distress?"

   "No ma'am. Charles Xavier," Charles gave a short bow. "I was just shopping around and saw someone who could be in need of a little moral support." 

   "Emma Beifong. Sorry, Summers, but I have to detain you. As for Charles here, you're free to go."

   "I'd much rather stay with my friend, if you don't mind." Charles did his best to sound polite, but the Task Force did have a reputation for being brutal; Charles was not going anywhere.

   Emma simply shrugged and opened the back door of her satomobile. "Suit yourself. Now get it."

* * *

 

   On the ride to the police station, Charles had read Emma's mind. _... Nothing on him really since no one got hurt... Just give him a bit of a scare... Nothig says Tuesday morning like a bit of public dissent._

 Now Charles and Alex were sitting at a table in a room used for questioning. Emma sat on the other side of the table looking cross.

   "Look, Summers, I'm just going to say it; that man's been harassing you for three months, why don't you put in a report already?"

   Charles looked at Alex, suprised. 

   "He's not worth my time."

   "He is now, sugar. If you'd filed a complaint before this, I'd be detaining him for disturbing the peace and not you." Emma uncrossed her legs under the table and sat upright. "Did you think something like this was never going to happen? That you'd never lose your temper?"

   "Miss Beifong-" Charles started.

   " _Cheif_   Beifong."

   "Cheif Beifong," Charles corrected himself, "you sound as if you don't even want Alex here."

   "You know full well after reading my mind that I don't, Charles. That guy has filed several claims of harassment against you, Summers, and the whole time he's telling me what a public menace you are his mind was radiating nothing but prejudice and anti-bender slurs." Emma turned to Charles, smiling coyly. <You really should go more into depth when reading a person, sugar. Little tidbits of information matter, especially when dealing with others who are... _gifted_. I could feel you in my mind the whole ride over. >

   Charles' face broke out into a grin. <I consider anything beyond surface thoughts an invasion of privacy, Cheif Beifong.>

   "What?" Alex said, missing out on the conversation. To him, it looked more like Cheif Beifong was about to eat Charles for dinner and he was egging her on.

   <I'm not charging you with anything Summers, you're free to go. Though since the cat's ou tof the bag on the "special benders", I think it's time you met the rest of my unit.> Cheif Beifong stood and motioned for them to follow her out of the room.

   In the lounge area, Emma whistled in an impossibly high pitch. Seconds later a red puff of smoke appeared, quickly materializing into a man. From down the hall two more people joined the room: a woman who's uniform had been modified to leave her shoulders bare, revealing tattooed wings, and a rather tall man who seemed uncharictaristically timid.

   "These are the special officers of the Task Force, codenames Azazel, Beast, and Angel. Like us, their abilities go beyond bending." Emma was clearly very proud of her unit, gesturing extravagently at each as she said their names. "So you see, Summers, when I offered you a position with a 'special division' of the Task Force last time you were here, I really wasn't patronizing you."

   Azezel bowed at Alex and Charles. "Pleasure to meet you. I am earthbender, and I think my special abilities have been made obvious."

   Angel waved. "Firebending. And the wings? They're real."

   Beast gave a short bow "I'm not too strict on the codename, I rarely do any feildwork. Call me Hank. Waterbending and superior intelligene... and opposable toes."

   Alex snorted. "Oh, I'm definitely using the nickname."

   Charles gave Alex a chastising glare. "It is so wonderful to see people using their gifts for justice."

   Emma snorted. "There is a fine difference between justice and the law. We bend more rules here than we care to admit at the Strategic Hazard Intervention and Espionage Logistics Directorate, but as long as our operation stays behind the curtian no one seems to care."

   Charles smiled at Emma <You and a friend of mine would get along very well.>

   At the mention of Erik, Charles remembered that Erik had just agreed to a date with him.

   Emma smiled at him. <Get out of here then. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around.> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Himitsu Bako (https://icdsy652.securesites.net/~icds6978/yosegi.net/shop/catalog/images/ketriskele3.JPG) is a puzzle box, they come in varying dimensions and levels of difficulty (from two moves to over 100) of how to open them  
> The Beifong family is basically earth kingdom nobility, and Emma is replacing Lin Beifong as the head of police in this au for two reasons, 1) as a telepath she makes an especially good Chief of Police, and 2) the last two generations of Beifong women, Toph and her daughter Lin, are complete badasses that have no sense of propriety. Like Emma.  
> Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate- I literally play the game of how-many-references-can-we-fit-into-this-fic/rp when I write. I'm sorry but not really but almost actually sorry.

**Author's Note:**

> Jean Gray, also known as the Phoenix destroyed New York when accessing supreme levels of her mutation (basically X Men:The Last Stand plot but adjusted from the comic) and afterwards there was a huge military effort to quarantine mutants and the real genocidal efforts followed shortly followed (as far as I understand about the comics- I haven't read all of them). For the sake of my au, Jean was the last Avatar, and the Avatar state mirrors when the Phoenix alter ego is controlling Jean's actions in the movie. While in the Avatar state/as the Phoenix, Jean destroyed Omashu. Logan brought her down from the Avatar state (think of that scene where Katara keeps Aang from hurting the tribesmen that stole Oppa) long enough to kill her/save her from hurting anyone else. For those of you who don't know, the Avatar State is where the Avatar can call upon the power, wisdom, and knowledge of their past lives. It elevates their abilities but it is also their weakest state, because if they are killed in the Avatar state they are truly destroyed and their spirit cannot reincarnate. Also, the Avatar is supposed to be told on their 16th birthday that they are the avatar, and The destruction of Omashu was roughly 14 years before this so no one knows who it is yet.


End file.
